WorkStreams Newsletter

Services

Job Search Training Skills and Worker’s Self Efficacy

Following an occupational injury WorkStreams assist injured workers return to work promptly and safely through the development of individualised return to work plans. When it is not possible for an injured worker to return to work at their pre-injury workplace WorkStreams assist with re-deployment.

Injured worker’s who maintain a current work capacity for either modified or alternative duties may receive job-seeking assistance to secure new employment through the Job Seeking Assistance (JSA) Program. Within the WorkStreams JSA Program an injured worker is paired with a qualified Rehabilitation Consultant/ Vocational Advisor for a period of 16-weeks, where the worker is provided with training in job seeking skills, interview skills, support and vocational guidance.

Returning to work following an occupational injury can often be daunting regardless of whether you are a mature adult whom maintains 20-years work experience or a young adult with limited work experience. WorkStreams understand that all injured workers are different and may present with different re-deployment barriers. Injured workers are characterised with varying age, work experience, functional capacity levels, English speaking and Non-English speaking backgrounds. WorkStreams offers job-seeking assistance that is tailored to the individual’s level of job seeking skills in order to receive optimal re-deployment outcomes for the worker.

Following an occupational injury the re-deployment process can differ from that of the normal process. Following an injury a worker needs to learn to evaluate the suitability of employment opportunities in terms of their functional capacity and safety in addition to their transferable skills, qualifications and job interests. Therefore, WorkStreams has tailored a Job Seeking Skills Workshop and Interview Skills Workshop that are each specialise in re-deployment following an occupational injury. Such training is either provided through a group workshop format or on an individual basis. Upon entering the JSA Program your qualified Rehabilitation Consultant/ Vocational Advisor will assess your level of experience and skills in the areas of Job Seeking and Interview Skills to determine whether you would benefit most from a group or personalised training session.

Training provided within each of Job Seeking Skills and Interview Skills workshops include:

Job Seeking Skills Workshop

Accessing and identifying employment vacancies
Evaluating the suitability of job descriptions in relation to functional restrictions
Creating a resume that highlights a worker’s transferable work skills
Tailoring a job application letter to satisfy selection criteria
Disclosing a WorkCover injury within a job application letter
Promoting the WorkCover Incentive Scheme for Employers (WISE) within a job application letter
Telephone techniques in contacting employers to discuss job applications
Practical telephone technique role-play activities
Canvassing job applications to employers

Interview Skills Workshop

Pre-interview preparation
Interview presentation in terms of positive and negative body language
Disclosing a WorkCover injury within an interview
Management of injury related questions regarding the worker’s ability to perform the duties and discussing functional restrictions
Promoting the WISE scheme to employers and highlighting the benefits of the scheme
Practical interview techniques role-play encompassing common interview questions and injury related questions.

Non-English Speaking Injured Workers

WorkStreams provides a flexible service delivery approach in providing Job Seeking Skills and Interview Skills training to workers of a Non-English speaking background. Your qualified Rehabilitation Consultant/ Vocational advisor will provide the Job Seeking Skills and Interview Skills training sessions on a personal basis rather than within a group environment to prevent you from being disadvantaged. If required a Professional Interpreter will be present to facilitate the training session and translate your primary speaking language into English.

WorkStreams encourages and assists workers of Non-English speaking backgrounds to job seek within the broad community and within their cultural sub-group. Often workers report feeling more comfortable in job seeking utilising their primary speaking language. Under these circumstances we assist workers in identifying and accessing job seeking resources (i.e Greek Community Employment Newspapers) specific to their cultural background, increasing their capacity to effectively job seek.

Should a worker wish to target employers within their cultural sub-group, WorkStreams can arrange for a Professional Interpreter to translate a copy of the resume and job application letters into their primary speaking language.

Internet Job Seeking Training

There are various job seeking resources available to assist workers in accessing and identifying suitable employment vacancies. The Internet has become increasingly popular for employers to advertise job vacancies. A worker’s level of computer skill often varies from person to person. To prevent injured workers with limited computer skills from being disadvantaged within the JSA Program, WorkStreams is able to offer individual Internet Job Seeking Skills training. Your Rehabilitation Consultant/ Vocational Advisor will provide you with a basic training session on the following topics:

Accessing the Internet
Common Internet job seeking sites
Simulating a job vacancy search
Selecting the appropriate criteria to simulate a job vacancy search (i.e. occupational industry, location, type of employment ect.)
Applying for a job vacancy utilising the Internet

Research suggests that a worker seeking re-deployment following an occupational injury can often experience decreased self-esteem, feelings of confusion and helplessness. In addition, injured workers experience reduced self-efficacy levels towards job seeking. Self-efficacy refers to ‘an individual’s perception of his or her skills and abilities to act effectively and competently, and these beliefs influence actions and coping behaviours, the situations and environments that individuals chose to access, and their persistence in performing certain tasks’ (Strauser, 1995).

A research study conducted by Rak and O’Dell (1994) investigated the effects of job seeking training on job seeking self-efficacy levels for individuals suffering a disability, and the relationship between self-efficacy levels and job seeking accomplishments. The type of job seeking training provided included learning to review the employment section of the newspaper, completing job applications and developing interview skills.

Results indicated that job seeking self-efficacy levels increased following the completion of a job seeking skills training program (Rak & O’Dell, 1994). In addition, re-deployment rates were higher for individuals with high self-efficacy levels towards job seeking compared to those with low self-efficacy levels towards job seeking (Rak & O’Dell, 1994).

Research suggests that individuals who successfully complete a training program that provides work skills or job seeking skills will have increased self-efficacy in seeking re-deployment, and therefore increasing their chances of securing employment (Strauser, 1995). This is exactly what we do and believe in at WorkStreams.

For additional information, call WorkStreams on 9349 4655.

Resources utilised for the purpose of this article:

Strauser, D. R. (1995). Applications of Self-Efficacy Theory in Rehabilitation
Counselling. Journal of Rehabilitation, January – February – March, pp. 7 – 11.

Rak, C.F., & O’Dell, F. L. (1994). Career treatment strategy model: A blend of career
and traditional counselling approaches. Journal of Career Development, 20, 227 – 238.

June 2007 Newsletter - Stress injuries continue to rise.

May 2007 Newsletter - WorkCover cheats cop it!

April 2007 Newsletter - How to write an employment contract

March 2007 Newsletter - Attention all clients. Reimbursement for Weekly Compensation

February 2007 Newsletter - Employment termination. What can you do about it?

December 2006 Newsletter - People who say they are more sensitive to pain than others could be right.

November 2006 Newsletter - Women still battling workplace discrimination

October 2006 Newsletter - Safe Work Australia Week

August/September 2006 Newsletter - New Inspectors to force employers to return injured workers to work

July 2006 Newsletter - Job search training skills & worker's self efficacy

June 2006 Newsletter - Chemicals still a health risk in the workplace despite tough laws

May 2006 Newsletter - WorkCover guidelines keep putting employers under pressure